Transported to Port Moresby to await export. Stored for a month near Jackson Airport. The relics were left in a pile until a deal was setup with the Canadian Air Force to transport them aboard a Hercules back to Canada in the middle of January 1969.
Restoration
This was the first of the recovered aircraft to be restored by Robert Diemert at his home in Carman, Canada. Rebuilt using a Wright R-2600 radial engine.
First Flight
When the Val first flew on November 22, 1969 it was not yet registered or cleared with Transport Canada. Transportation Canada had RCMP officers present at Diemert's private airfield to arrest him when he was going to land after the flight, Instead, he flew about 20 miles to the RCAF base at nearby Portage la Prairie and landing there. Being a military base, Transport Canada had no authority and could not arrest him. Diemert reported getting the plane to 260 knots, but felt that it was capable of 325. He said: "It handled like a big AT-6. Heavy on the controls, but "quite speedy and very maneuverable, of course."
Display
Later, he flew the aircraft to Ottawa and delivered it to Canadian National Aviation Museum, in return for the transportation services of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), for transporting the wreckage from Port Moresby in January 1969.
In 1991, Canadian National Aviation Museum traded to the Planes of Fame Museum, for a helicopter with Canadian provenance.
Today, it is displayed at Planes of Fame Museum restoration hanger in Chino Ca. in a partially restored state. No immediate timetable for further restoration is planned, although the museum does expect to re-restore the plane at some point in the future.
References
"Serial Number & Production Sequence D3A2 Carrier Bombers" by Jim Long. Thanks to Ryan Toews, Mark Foster and Edward Maloney for additional information
The guy in the stroy is Rostys uncle!!! I've seen this plane at Chino many, many times.....
"2009 saw progress in the long term restoration of the Japanese Aichi D3A2 “Val” dive bomber. Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the cockpit canopy were completed and a new bulkhead for the tail section was completed. New attachment fittings for the rudder and vertical stabilizer were also machined and installed plus many ribs were redone.
In late summer (Aug-Oct), Alex Gonzales was joined by Shigeru (Sam) Hayashi. Sam lives in Japan and traveled to Planes of Fame Air Museum to provide invaluable project assistance. Sam translated various Japanese documents/manuals looking for needed dimensions in the tail area. He also converted metric dimensions to “U.S.” dimensions for easier use. The new information allowed Sam to fabricate a new trim tab mechanism for the rudder and correct the structure of the horizontal stabilizer. We hope that Sam will be able to rejoin us in the near future and also thank his very understanding wife who allowed his extended absence from home." From the POF Website
Heres a story about a Zero he restored....
http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/Exhi ... )-(1).aspx
